Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 226: Say Nothing

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Say Nothing

In a seemingly ordinary mansion, two people holding great power over the city gathered, their faces full of worry. None of them had expected things to escalate this far, and now they truly didn’t know what to do.

Yuan Cheng came in later and immediately felt the tense atmosphere upon entering the room. His arrival broke the silence: "Right now, our people are questioning Liu Yao, not giving Su Hui any opportunities."

Yuan Cheng’s father, Yuan Zhenggang, sighed: "This is a short-term solution, not a cure. Did you speak to Liu Yao? Told her to say nothing and pretend she saw nothing?"

Yuan Cheng nodded: "I’ve already been there and said that, but I bumped into Su Hui keeping an unceasing eye on Liu Yao. I’m worried..."

Liu Yao’s father, Liu Zhendong, was the most anxious: "It’s Su Hui again, why does she have to show up there?" After saying this, Liu Zhendong cast a doubtful look at Yuan Cheng.

Yuan Cheng shook his head: "I don’t know either, and I didn’t expect Liu Yao would come back to me."

Yuan Zhenggang stepped in to mediate: "Someone has been following you all the way to the club, saw the big boss, got killed by him, and Liu Yao just so happened to come and find you, witnessing the scene of the big boss committing the murder."

Liu Zhendong expressed his displeasure again: "Yuan Cheng, you really need to think carefully about what mistakes you’ve made that led Su Hui to doubt you and send someone to follow you."

To this, Yuan Cheng tried hard to recall, but had no clue: "I’ve just been working as usual, other than meeting the big boss last night, I really haven’t done anything else to attract trouble. Besides, I only went on what you guys told me, otherwise I wouldn’t even know how to do it."

Hearing this, both Yuan Zhenggang and Liu Zhendong came to realise that they had only shared some information with Yuan Cheng, but they had not involved him in anything. The only exception was him meeting the big boss last night. They couldn’t figure out why Su Hui would send people to monitor Yuan Cheng.

There must have been a mistake somewhere. Yuan Zhenggang started to ponder, but he couldn’t find out where the mistake was, which instead made them feel even more terrified. The other side was able to track down to Yuan Cheng, and was on the verge of discovering the big boss.

"No matter what, we need to get Liu Yao back and agree on a consistent story. We absolutely can’t let the problem escalate. The wedding must proceed as planned." Yuan Zhenggang thought, as long as Liu Yao doesn’t speak out while being protected, Su Hui, no matter how capable she is, would not be able to pry open Liu Yao’s mouth.

Yuan Cheng sounded concerned: "I don’t understand why Su Hui, a civil servant, could send someone to tail me."

Liu Zhendong responded: "The people following you aren’t local personnel, but ones sent from above. The person in charge is Zhuo Hang, who was also sent down from above to investigate the big boss."

At this, Yuan Zhenggang sighed: "We originally hoped that only one of you, either you or Liu Yao, would get involved. But looking at the current situation, both of you are inevitably entangled. Let’s hope your next generation can safely leave this city."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhendong gritted his teeth: "Su Hui’s investigation is getting closer and closer to us. We can’t simply stand by and let this continue, we must find a way to contain it."

Yuan Cheng sensed the intent to silence witnesses and was instantly terrified. He still had feelings for Su Hui and did not want things to develop to that point.

However, Yuan Zhenggang refused: "The investigation of Su Hui and Zhuo Hang is ordered from above. Even if you kill them, others will be sent to continue the investigation. This is just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. In any case, we are being watched."

"What do you mean?" Yuan Cheng turned nervous, then saw the gloomy expressions of Yuan Zhenggang and Liu Zhendong, realising that things were ominous.

Yuan Zhenggang added: "Yuan Cheng, you are only aware of a portion and haven’t truly got involved yet. There’s still hope for you and Liu Yao."

Hearing this, Yuan Cheng was taken aback, seeing the pessimistic expressions on the faces of the two elders, he didn’t understand why they seemed so hopeless when things had not yet reached an impasse.

Only then Liu Zhendong shook his head and sighed, giving a bitter smile: "Yuan Cheng, remember, if you ever screw up, no matter how meticulous you’ve been at ensuring your safety, if you are targeted from above, they will eventually find evidence of your wrongdoings and bring you to justice."

"This..." Yuan Cheng understood the key point and why the two elders were so pessimistic.

Yuan Zhenggang also laughed at himself: "We were too optimistic before. Thinking that just because we controlled the city, nothing would go wrong. Now, Su Hui almost found the big boss, her investigation getting closer and closer to the core. It also makes us clear-headed."

"Then what do we do? Are we just waiting to die? The big boss is very powerful, right? He can help us." Yuan Cheng was not resigned, at this moment he started to hate Su Hui. It’s all because of her that things have gotten to this point. Why does she have to meddle?

"Even the big boss can’t compete with those holding the real power. The big boss is very powerful, immortal, but it doesn’t mean he commands this world. If the people from above knew about the big boss, they would have captured him for research long ago. That’s why the big boss only dares to reach out to us on this level, not risking any interactions with those higher up." Yuan Zhenggang’s words shattered everyone’s illusions.

Liu Zhendong waved, "Ok, enough. For now, go and bring Liu Yao back home. We will deal with the rest later".

"Alright," Yuan Cheng, abiding by his orders, turned around and left.

Upon Yuan Cheng’s departure, Yuan Zhenggang and Liu Zhendong exchanged glances, both recognizing a sense of powerlessness in each other’s eyes.

******

At this time at the police station, Liu Yao had completed her statement. She omitted any mention of last night’s events, stating that when she arrived at the scene, everything was already as it was and she didn’t see who the attacker was.

Zhuo Hang, noticing the flicker in Liu Yao’s eyes, was clearly aware that she wasn’t good at lying. He intended to question her himself, but the person in charge had already issued orders to release her.

Dissatisfied, Zhuo Hang felt that Liu Yao shouldn’t be let off so easy. A good cop had been sacrificed and he wanted to forcefully prevent her from leaving.

Because of Zhuo Hang’s special status, the person in charge personally came forward and summoned Zhuo Hang to the office, then loudly questioned: "Zhuo Hang, do you have any dissatisfaction with our arrangements? Liu Yao claimed to have seen nothing, and moreover, her father is a high-ranking official in this city. For what reason would we detain her needlessly? Why did you bring in investigators without first notifying them? What are you implying?"

Zhuo Hang retorted: "What I don’t understand is why nothing was captured on the surveillance footage last night. Is that truly due to technical issues? Moreover, the dash cam from Liu Yao’s vehicle has gone missing. Isn’t that strange?"

This only infuriated the person in charge even more. "What are you implying? Are you accusing us of tampering and sheltering criminals?"

In response, Zhuo Hang firmly answered: "I’m not accusing, only expressing reasonable doubt. As for why officials dispatched investigators to this city without notifying you, you can ask them. If you don’t, they’ll want you over there anyway, to provide you a reasonable explanation." After saying this, Zhuo Hang gave a meaningful smile.

The higher-ups want me there? The manager’s tone softened, and he became uneasy.

While there was a tense standoff between the person in charge and Zhuo Hang, Liu Yao was preparing to leave, looking anxious and confused. Not only was this the first time she had witnessed a murder, but she had also been told that she had seen nothing, that she knew nothing.

Liu Yao didn’t know why, but she felt the situation was very serious. She had to rush home where it was safe.

Su Hui, who had been waiting at the front door for a while now, came over and greeted her with a faint smile. "I’ve been waiting for you for a long time".

"Why are you waiting for me? I’ve said it before, I’ve seen nothing, I know nothing. Please, don’t bother me again." Liu Yao replied with disdain and rejection – an expected reaction for Su Hui. And so, Su Hui didn’t mind and said, "I’m not here to bother you. I’m here to protect you. You’ve witnessed things you shouldn’t have, and you’re in real danger now."

Liu Yao snorted. "I’m perfectly aware of my situation, and I don’t need your concern."

"Believe me," Su Hui continued. "I have guarded criminals and I’ve seen with my own eyes how they were silenced. So, I worry about you. I don’t bear you any ill will. I just don’t want what happened to happen to you, too."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao seemed taken aback, hesitating as if her defenses were shaken by Su Hui’s words.

Seeing Liu Yao’s reaction, Su Hui knew that she nearly convinced her. She pressed on. "Believe me. Only by catching the perpetrator can you truly be safe. Otherwise, you’ll be living in fear every day, and you don’t want to live like that, do you?"

"I..." Liu Yao was interrupted before she could say what she wanted to say when Yuan Cheng arrived at the scene.

Yuan Cheng’s arrival gave Liu Yao a sense of relief. He came up and gently patted Liu Yao’s arm, then said, "Go wait in the car, I’ll be right there."

"Okay," Liu Yao hurriedly said, eager to get as far away from the scene as possible.

Now, only Yuan Cheng and Su Hui were left. For the first time, Yuan Cheng looked at Su Hui seriously and said with a stern tone: "Listen, Su Hui, I hope you won’t disturb my fiancée. I will take care of her safety. You don’t have to worry about us."

But Su Hui did not back down. "Yuan Cheng, do you understand what kind of mess you’re getting into? I have no ill intentions. I just want to help. If the truth comes out, neither you nor your fiancée will be safe."

Grouchy, Yuan Cheng responded, "Enough said. I know our situation better than anyone. The real danger to us is you, Su Hui. I beg you to stay out of our lives. Don’t bother us anymore." After saying this, Yuan Cheng walked away in a huff, leaving Su Hui to witness the frustration and helplessness he was trying to hide.